Combination lighting fixture and wiring conduit



April 3, 1956 M. H. KRUGER COMBINATION LIGHTING FIXTURE AND WIRING CONDUIT 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 11. 1953 INVENTOR /V/c//0 Awerfiaae 1/ ATTORNEY April 3, 1956 M. H. KRUGER COMBINATION LIGHTING FIXTURE AND WIRING CONDUIT 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 11, 1953 m N m m 6r: ATTORNEY April 3, 1956 M. H. KRUGER COMBINATION LIGHTING FIXTURE AND WIRING CONDUIT Filed May 11, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Max/e62 i/v iy xrfiaase BY @04 H 4,; ATTORNEY April 3, 1956 H. KRUGER COMBINATION LIGHTING FIXTURE AND WIRING CONDUIT Filed May 11. 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 a; INVENTOR werfifwm H gm Mm m k N mm \W 08 G QO T w Jr's JTTORNEY United States Patent 'ce COMBINATION LIGHTING FIXTURE AND WIRING CONDUIT Application May 11, 1953, Serial No. 354,289 11 Claims. (Cl. 240-9) Thisinvention relates to lighting fixtures in general and more especially to combination lighting fixtures and wiring conduits for fluorescent illumination, and constitutes a continuation in part of application for patent Ser. No. 290,465, filed May 28, 1952.

Among the objects of the present invention, it is aimed to provide an improved lighting fixture characterized by two main units, one unit including a frame and wire housing or conduit secured to the building structure, and a reflector unit which can with facility be connected to, and again disconnected from, the frame, to which frame a light distributor as a possible third unit may with facility be connected.

More specifically, it is aimed to provide an improved lighting fixture including a frame, reflector, and distributor, by means of which some of the light rays may be directed to the ceiling and others reflected downwardly, and the distributor effectively intercept any direct light rays from passing into the conventional line of vision of occupants of the room in which the lighting fixture is located.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the invention will appear from the subjoined detailed description of one specific embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective of the complete lighting fixture looking down at the upper face thereof from an angle to the vertical.

v Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l slightly enlarged as compared to the illustration in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental section still further enlarged showing the support for the ballast of a fluorescent lighting system.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental front elevation partly in section showing the connection between two successively adjacent lighting fixtures.

Fig. 4a is a section on the line 4a-4a of Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatical plan view showing the connection between two successive adjacent lighting fixtures.

Fig. 6 is a fragmental section slightly larger as compared to Fig. 2 showing the connection between the main frame and the reflector unit.

Fig. 7 is a fragmental front elevation showing the connection illustrated in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmental detail partly in section showing the connection between a light distributor, the reflector and main frame with the Wire housing omitted.

Fig. 9 is a perspective of the main frame looking upwardly at the bottom of the same from an angle to the vertical.

Fig. 10 is a perspective of the reflector unit looking upwardly at the bottom of the same from an angle to the vertical.

Fig. 11 is a transverse section of the reflector unit shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of a second embodiment of the unit containing the wire housing as compared to the unit disclosed in Fig. 9.

2,740,883 Patented Apr. 3, 1956 Fig. 13 is a section on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a section on the line 1414 of Fig. 12.

In the embodiment shown, see Figs. 1 and 9, one unit consists of the frame 1 having the end plates 2 and 3 having a substantially plane lower edge 4 and an intermediately positioned inwardly extending flange 5. The plates 2 and 3 in the present instance, each has two upwardly and inwardly extending convex curved edges provided with flanges 6, which edges and flanges 6 extend downwardly as they approach one another a short distance terminating at the edges of the upwardly extending intermediate portion 7 forming one of the end walls of the wire containing housing or conduit 8. The side walls of the wire housing 8 recede to form the longitudinally extending shoulders 9 and 10. Preferably as shown, see Figs. 1 and 3, the upper wall and the lower wall of the wire housing 8 are interrupted about midway between the two end plates 2 and 3 to receive the ballast housing 11 which, see Fig. 3, is provided with a plate 12 secured to the top of the ballast housing 11 and to the inwardly flaring upper outer faces of the wall portions 13 and 14 of the wire housing 8. Any suitable conventional means may be provided for securing the frame 1 to the ceiling. As shown, the frame 1 is provided with brackets, such as the brackets 15, which have lower inwardly extending flanges 16 and 17 to engage the shoulders 9 and 10. These brackets 15 are in turn connected to the tubes 18 which are connected to the ceiling structure by any suitable means. In the conduit 8, the wires from the source of current to and from the ballast housing 11 and lamps are housed.

Suitable lamp holders for the lamps are preferably provided in the end plates 2 and 3. When it is desired to arrange the frames 1 in alinement with one another, each end plate 2 of one frame 1 may be disposed adjacent to the end plate 3 of a successively adjacent frame 1. In the present instance, the end plate 2 is provided with two openings 19 and 20 to either side of the intermediate portion 7 just below their flanges 6, and each end plate 3 is provided with two openings 21 and 22 to either side of the intermediate portion 7 just below their flanges 6. The opening 19 in the end plate 2, Fig. 4, is provided to receive the extended cylindrical 190111101123 of one lamp holder adjacentto, and extending from, the narrow enlarged cylindrical portion 24 of the other lamp holder which is connected to the flange 25 of the brackets 26 secured to the inner face of the adjacent end plate 3, while the wide portion 23 is provided with a flange 123 which is secured to the inner face of the end plate 2. In turn, the opening 20 of the end plate 2 has extending therethrough the extended cylindrical portion 2'7 concentric and adjacent to the narrow enlarged cylindrical portion 23 which is secured to the brackets 29 connected to the inner face of the end plate 2. Here in turn, see Fig. 5, the extended cylindrical portion 27 is long enough to extend through the alined opening 22 in the end plate 3. Preferably the wider cylindrical portion 23 is provided with the conventional spring seat, notshown, for the end of the lamp 30 and the cylindrical portion 24 is provided with the conventional fixed seat for the end of the lamp 31, and in turn the wide cylindrical portion 27 is similarly provided with the conventional spring seat, and the inner cylindrical portion 28 provided with the conventional fixed seat. Due to this requirement, the width of the cylindrical portions 24 and 28 may be reduced to a minimum and consequently when two or more lighting fixtures are disposed in tandem, end to end, the overall length of the two or more lighting fixtures may be reduced to a minimum, and in turn the size of the dark spots resulting from the light interrupted at such ends either entirely eliminated or made comparatively imperceptible to view. In turn, if each pair of end plates of a lighting fixture is 3 provided with two lamp holders, one equipped with a wide cylindrical socket portion, such as the portion 23, and the other with a narrow cylindrical socket portion, such as the portion 28, and these socket portions are al ways arranged in the same relationship to one another from right to left, then the opposing end plates may nevertheless be identical in the interest of simplifying the cost of manufacture and shipment.

The reflector unit 32 is provided with two reflector end plates 33 and 34 similar in shape to the end plates 2 and 3, respectively, except that here there is provided a clearance 35 to clear the housing 8 when the end plates 33 and 34 are positioned inside of the end plates 2 and 3, respectively. Furthermore, see particularly Figs. 4 and 10, the lower portion of the reflector end plates 33 and 34 flare outwardly as shown at 36 and have an upwardly extending flange 37 which terminates just below the flange of an adjacent end plate 2, 3. To the curved edges of the reflector end plates 33 and 34, there are connected two longitudinally extending curved reflector side walls 38 and 39 which as shown each preferably has upwardly inclined curved flange 40 overlapping the lower portion of the outer face of the wall 38, 39 and a downwardly inclined curved flange 41 overlapping the upper portion of the outer parts of a wall 38, 39. The walls 38 and 39 conform to the convex curved outer edge of the lateral portions 42 and 43 of end plates 33, 34 and extend from one end plate 33 to the other end plate 34 presenting two convex inner reflector faces to the lamps 3t 31, when assembled. Intermediate the reflector walls 38 and 39 there is secured, also extending from an end wall 33 to an end wall 34, the intermediate V-shaped reflector unit 44 having the two plane walls 45 and 46 forming a dihedral angle with one another substantially V-shaped in cross section with the apex 47 terminating in the present instance at the lower edge of the end plates 33, 34 and the upper edges of the walls 45, 46 terminating at the lower edge 48 of an end plate 33, 34 below the clearance 35. The outer faces of the walls 45 and 4 6 constitute reflector faces to cooperate with the reflector faces of the walls 38 and 39 of the lamps 30, 31 to direct the light rays downwardly from the lamps 3t) and 31, while the spaces between the upper edges of the walls 45 and 46 of the inner edges of the curved walls 38 and 39 permit the passage of the light rays from the lamps 30 and 31 upwardly at an angle to the ceiling or the like reflecting surface above the lighting fixture frame 1.

The connection between the frame 1 and the reflector unit 32 is unique and will now be described. As shown in Fig. 9, near each end of the wire housing 8 and connected to the lower wall 45 thereof, there are secured a pair of triangular plates, to wit, the plates 50, 51 and the plates 52, 53. Since these pairs of plates and associated parts are identical, only one pair, the plates 50 and 51, and their associated parts, will be described in detail. The lower apex 54 of the plates 50, 51 is disposed substantially along the longitudinal middle of the unit 1. Adjacent the apices 54 and extending from one plate 50 to the other plate 51, there is provided the pin or shaft 55 to which is secured the plate 56 bent into V-form to form the plate portions 57 and 58. Also mounted on the pin 55 and to one side of the plate 56, see Fig. 7, there is provided the spring 59 having two arms 60 and 61 engaging the inner faces of the plate portions 57 and 58 and normally urging them outwardly to project slightly beyond the outer edges of the plates 50 and 51. The plate portions 57 and 58 have near their upper ends outwardly extending bulges 62 and 63, respectively, with key slots 64 and 65, respectively, formed therein.

The plate portions 45 and 46 in turn have openings 66 and 67 therein to receive the bulges 62 and 63. In other words, due to the resiliency of the plate portions 57 and 58 and due to their being urged outwardly by the spring 59, in order to connect the reflector unit 32 to the frame 1, it will only be necessary to move the unit 32 up into the frame 1 until the bulges 62 and 63 register with the openings 66 and 67 and project out through such openings, as shown in Fig. 6, when the reflector unit 32 will be anchored in position in the frame 1. After the unit 32 has so been anchored in position in the frame 1, the lamps 30 and 31 may then be positioned and connected, which lamps extend through the openings 68 and 69 in the end plates 33 and 34- into the lamp holders 23 and 28, respectively, see Fig. 5. The key slots 64 and 65 in the bulges 62 and 63 are provided to receive the enlargements 70 formed at the free ends of the links 71 and 72 connected to the plate portions 73 and 74 of a light distributor, such as an egg crate louver or the like. The plate portions 73 and 74 as shown in Fig. 8 preferably are fixed to one another by the bent plate 75.

111 the embodiment shown in Figs. 12 to 14, inclusive, another form of end plate is disclosed as compared to the end plates 2 and 3 illustrated in Fig. 9, in which a flange 7 6 extends inwardly from the intermediate narrow connecting wall portion 77 provided with openings 78 to receive screws or the like connecting means of the wire housing, not shown, such as the wire housing 8 of the embodiment shown in Fig. 2.

Furthermore, the narrow flange portions 79 and 80 extend inwardly from the convex curved edges of the wing portions 81 and 82 of the end plate 77, are crimped at 83 to increase the rigidity of the same, and then continue in the wider flange portions 84 and 85 at the upper and inner ends of the wing portions 81 and 82. In turn, the wide cylindrical portion 86 and the narrow cylindrical portion 87 of the two complemental lamp holders both have the same diameter where they receive the ends of the lamp to be supported and for fastening means, each cylindrical portion has a pair of projections, the wide cylindrical portion having the projections 88 and 89, Fig. 13, and the narrow cylindrical portion having the projections 90 and 91, Fig. 12. The projections 88 and 89 of the cylindrical portion 86 engage the outer face of the portions 92 and 93 of the wing 82, and the projections 90 and 91 engage the outer faces of the lips 94 and 95 of the projections 96 and 97 bent forwardly from the upper and lower edges of the large opening 98 by screws or the like. As shown in Fig. 14, the opening 98 is large enough to permit the outer portion of the cylindrical portion 86 to extend through the same across the end plate 77 of an adjacent lighting fixture when two end plates 77 are disposed adjacent to one another as shown in Fig. 14, while the outer face of the cylindrical portion 87 by means of the projections 96 and 97 will be spaced from the outer face of the cylindrical portion 86 to facilitate compact nesting, constituting one of the features of the present invention.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a lighting fixture for fluorescent illumination, the combination of a fixed first unit having a main frame having a first pair of end plates, a longitudinally extending narrow wire housing connecting said first pair of end plates to one another and a ballast housing mounted on said wire housing; a removable second unit including a reflector having a pair of reflector end plates having reflecting faces flaring downwardly and outwardly, and reflector side walls having inner longitudinally extending edges spaced from one another a distance greater than the width of said wire housing and having faces extending downwardly and outwardly from a. point above said wire housing, said side walls connecting said pair of reflector end plates to one another; lamp holders in said first end plates, there being openings in said reflector end plates registering with said lamp holders, elongated tubular lamps extending through said openingsinto, and connected to, said lamp holders and disposed below and adjacent to each reflector wall within the vertically projected area thereof, and means removably connecting said second unit to said first unit to enable said openings to register with said lamp holders to receive said lamps and position said wall reflectors and reflector end plates adjacent to said lamps to receive light rays from said lamps and reflect them downwardly, said wire housing being spaced from and disposed below, the inner edges of said side reflector walls to enable light rays from said lamps to pass upwardly at an angle through the space between said wire housing and said reflector walls.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 disposed below a building structure in which said wire housing has longitudinally extending shoulders, brackets engaging said shoulders, and hangers connecting said brackets to the building structure.

3. In a lighting fixture for fluorescent illumination, the combination of a fixed first unit having a main frame having a longitudinally extending narrowwire housing, and an end plate connected to each end of said housing; a removable second unit having a longitudinally extending downwardly facing intermediate reflector corresponding in width to said wire housing and a longitudinally extending downwardly facing outer reflector spaced from, and at, each side of said intermediate reflector having downwardly inclined reflector faces with the inner lon gitudinally extending edges of said outer reflectors spaced from one another and having reflector faces spaced from and disposed above said intermediate reflector, and two reflector end plates having portions flaring downwardly and outwardly, one of said latter reflector end plates connected to the adjacent ends of said intermediate and outer reflectors at one end of the fixture and the other of said latter reflector end plates connected to the adjacent ends of the intermediate and outer light reflectors at the other end of the fixture; lamp holders in the end plates of said first unit, there being openings in the end plates of said second unit registering with said lamp holders, elongated tubular lamps extending through said openings into, and connected to, said lamp holders and disposed below and adjacent to each outer reflector within the vertically projected area thereof, and means removably connecting said second unit to said first unit to enable said openings to register with said lamp holders to receive said lamps and said reflectors and reflector end plates positioned adjacent to said lamps to receive light rays from said lamps and reflect them downwardly, said wire housing being disposed directly above said intermediate reflector and spaced from the inner edges of said outer reflectors to enable light rays from said lamps to pass upwardly at an angle through the space between said intermediate and outer reflectors and said intermediate reflector to conceal the lower face of said wire housing.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 in which the reflector faces of said intermediate reflector form a dihedral angle with one another with the apex at the bottom, said connecting means including yieldable arms connected to and extending from, said intermediate housing and having bulges formed thereon, and said reflecting plates have openings formed therein to receive said bulges.

5. In a lighting fixture for fluorescent illumination, the combination of a fixed first unit having a main frame having a longitudinally extending narrow wire housing, and an end plate connected to each end of said housing; a removable second unit having a longitudinally extending reflector including two reflector plates forming a dihedral angle with one another with the apex at the bottom and positioned directly beneath said wire housing, and two reflector end plates, one of such latter end plates connected to one end of said reflector and the other of said latter end plates connected to the other end of said reflector; lamp holders in the end plates of said first 6 unit, there being openings in the reflector end plates of said second unit registering with said lamp holders, elongated tubular lamps extending through said openings into, and connected to, said lamp holders, and to one side of said longitudinally extending reflector and clear of the vertically projected area thereof, and means connecting said second unit to said first unit to enable said openings to register with said lamp holders to receive said lamps and said longitudinally extending reflector plates to be disposed adjacent to said lamps to receive light rays from said lamps and reflect them downwardly, said wire housing being spaced from the outer edges of said longitudinally extending reflector plates to enable light rays from said lamps to pass upwardly clear of said reflector plates.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 5 in which said connecting means include yieldable arms connected to, and extending down from, said intermediate housing and have bulges formed thereon, and said reflector plates have openings formed therein to receive said bulges.

7. The combination of a plurality of lighting fixtures for fluorescent illumination positioned end to end, each lighting fixture including a first unit having a main frame including a longitudinally extending narrow wire housing and two end plates, one of said end plates connected to each end of said housing, the end plates of adjacent lighting fixtures being disposed adjacent to one another, a lamp holder in the end plate of one of said lighting fixtures having its outer end disposed inwardly of said one lighting fixture and an opening adjacent to, and outwardly of, said latter outer end, a second lamp holder having its outer end disposed outwardly of said lighting fixture, with the said opening in the end plate of the adjacent lighting fixture receiving the said outer end of said second lamp holder, a removable second unit including a pair of reflector end plates and reflector side walls having inner longitudinally extending edges spaced from one another a distance greater than the width of said wire housing and disposed above said wire housing, and means removably connecting said second unit to said first unit with the reflector end plates of said second unit disposed partly inside of the end plates of said first unit and partly in alinement with the lower ends of the plates of said first unit and the space between the inner edges of said reflector walls and said wire housing enabling light rays from lamps in said lamp holders to pass upwardly at an angle through the space between said wire housing and said reflector walls.

8. The combination of a plurality of lighting fixtures for fluorescent illumination positioned end to end, each lighting fixture including a first unit having a main frame including a longitudinally extending narrow wire housing and two end plates, one of said end plates connected to each end of said housing, the end plates of adjacent lighting fixtures being disposed adjacent to one another, a lamp holder in each of the end plates of each lighting fixture having its outer end disposed inwardly of said lighting fixture and an opening adjacent to, and outwardly of, said latter outer end to receive an elongated tubular lamp, a second lamp holder having its outer end disposed outwardly of said lighting fixture, such openings registering with and receiving the outwardly extending ends of said second lamp holders, the outwardly extending ends in each end plate bearing the same relationship to one another with regard to right and left, a removable second unit including a pair of reflector end plates and reflector side walls having inner longitudinally extending edges spaced from one another a distance greater than the width of said wire housing and disposed above said wire housing, and means removably connecting said second unit to said first unit with the reflector end plates of said second unit disposed partly inside of the end plates of said first unit and partly in alinement with the lower ends of the plates of said first unit and the space between the inner edges of said reflector Walls and said wire housing enabling light rays from lamps in said lamp 7 holders to pass upwardly at an angle through the space between said wire housing and said reflector walls.

9. The combination of a plurality of lighting fixtures for fluorescent illumination positioned end to end, each lighting fixture including a fixed first unit having a main frame including a longitudinally extending wire housing and two end plates, one of said end plates connected to each end of said housing, the end plates of adjacent lighting fixtures being disposed adjacent to one another, a lamp holder in each of the end plates of each lighting fixture having its outer end disposed inwardly of said lighting fixture to receive a lamp and an opening in registration therewith, a second lamp holder in each of said end plates having its outer end projecting outwardly of said lighting fixture and into the said opening in its adjacent lighting fixture, the two lamp holders and adjacent openings bearing the same relationship from right to left in each end plate to enable the outwardly projecting portion of the lamp holder of one lighting fixture to extend into the opening in an end plate of an adjacent lighting fixture to facilitate assembly, a removable second unit including a pair of reflector end plates and reflector side walls having inner longitudinally extending edges spaced from one another a distance greater than the width of said wire housing and disposed above said wire housing, and means removably connecting said second unit to said first unit with the reflector end plates of said second unit disposed partly inside of the end plates of said first unit and partly in alinement with the lower ends of the plates of said first unit and the space between the inner edges of said reflector walls and said wire housing enabling light rays from lamps in said lamp holders to pass upwardly at an angle through the space between said wire housing and said reflector walls.

10. The combination of a plurality of lighting fixtures for tubular fluorescent illumination positioned end to end, each lighting fixture having a main frame including 2. Iongitudinally extending wire housing, a right hand end plate and a left hand end plate, the right hand end plate connected to one end of said housing and the left hand end plate connected to the other end of said housing,

the right hand end plate and the left hand end plate of adjacent lighting fixtures being disposed adjacent to one another, a first lamp holder having an extended cylindrical portion with the conventional spring seat at one end facing inwardly and an outwardly extending portion projecting from the outer face of a right hand end plate, a second lamp holder having a narrow cylindrical portion secured to a left hand end plate and having the conventional fixed seat facing inwardly and its outer end spaced from the inner face of said left hand end plate, the fixed seat and spring seat of the lamp holders of each housing being in alinement with one another to receive a tubular fluorescent lamp, there being an opening in said left hand end plate concentric with the outer end of said narrow cylindrical portion to receive the outwardly extended portion of the extended cylindrical portion of an adjacent lighting fixture.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 10 having identical reflecting end plates at the inner ends of the right hand and left hand end plates concealing the extended spring seat portion and the narrow fixed seat portion, said reflecting end plates having openings therein in alinement with said seat portions to enable the tubular fluorescent lamps to extend through the reflecting end plates into engagement with their respective seat portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 123,355 Mumler Feb. 6, 1872 2,121,430 Guth June 21, 1938 2,288,941 Curtis July 7, 1942 2,291,490 Naysrnith July 28, 1942 2,339,100 Netting Jan. 11, 1944 2,545,307 Pretzer Mar. 13, 1951 2,559,641 Kruger July 10, 1951 2,606,278 Smith Aug. 5, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 114,518 Australia Jan. 7, 1942 560,805 Great Britain Apr. 20, 1944 

